Israeli officials reject Netanyahu’s claim of a ‘stolen’ election
(JTA)— Israeli election officials are batting down charges by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Qatari election interference significantly boosted the Arab vote, as the Likud leader sought to invalidate their ballots and the opposition accused him of trying to undermine the results.
Netanyahu claims that the election was “stolen” because, he alleges, Qatar secretly funded efforts to boost Arab voter turnout. The rate of Arab voter participation nearly doubled from the previous election, as did their representation in the parliament, the Knesset. Their unprecedented number of Knesset seats potentially gives them a decisive role in efforts to unseat Netanyahu.
Israeli authorities have opened an investigation into the allegations. But election officials were at pains to say that, even if they were substantiated, they did not indicate widespread fraud and would not invalidate the election.
On October 30, Acting Central Elections Committee Director-General Dean Livne recorded a statement saying that, while an investigation had been opened, “It does not affect the final results that will be submitted to the President, nor does it concern any particular sector of the population.”
In his statement, which was coordinated with the Shin Bet, Israel’s internal security apparatus, and Supreme Court Justice Noam Sohlberg, chairman of the Central Elections Committee, Livne disclosed that on October 29, “the head of the Israel Security Agency presented classified intelligence to the Chairman of the Committee, which led to the opening of the investigation.” He noted that the information had also been shared with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Opposition Leader Yair Lapid and Yashar party chairman Gadi Eisenkot.
Revolutionary procedure: Robotic lung transplant without fully opening chest
(JNS)—In an Israeli first, surgeons at Beilinson Hospital in Petach Tikvah have performed a lung transplant using a surgical robot, without cutting through the breastbone or spreading the ribs. Only a handful of medical centers worldwide have carried out the procedure.
The operation took place last month. Using the da Vinci robotic system and a few small chest incisions, the surgical team connected the new lung to the recipient’s blood vessels and airways. This avoids the traditional technique, which involves sawing through the breastbone and forcing the ribs apart.
Dr. Yuri Peysakhovich, head of the thoracic surgery department, who led the operation, said the team aims to make robotic surgery without opening the chest the accepted standard within five years.
A lung transplant is a complex procedure lasting about eight to 10 hours. The traditional approach causes severe pain and shallow breathing, and makes it hard for patients to clear secretions. That raises the risk of infection and leads to a recovery that can last weeks. The new technique significantly improves the chances of success and shortens recovery.
Israeli soldier who lost leg in Gaza completes NYC Marathon
(JNS)—An Israeli soldier who lost his right leg while fighting in Gaza in November 2023 completed the New York City Marathon on November 1, nearly three years after his injury.
Boris Shtonda, 29, a reservist in the Israel Defense Forces’ elite Duvdevan unit, was severely wounded during combat in Beit Hanun in the northern Gaza Strip. He finished the Nov. 1 marathon using a prosthetic leg, recording an official time of 6 hours, 31 minutes and 41 seconds.
Otzma Yehudit’s Gotliv urges Bennett, Liberman to join right-wing government
(JNS)—Incoming Otzma Yehudit lawmaker Tally Gotliv urged B’Yachad leader Naftali Bennett and Yisrael Beiteinu leader Avigdor Liberman on November 2 to join a broad right-wing government.
She called on the two politicians to secure their standing “both in the eyes of the people and before G-d,” and to act “for the sake of this nation’s resilience and the preservation of its security.”
Otherwise, Yashar Party leader Gadi Eisenkot “might come to rely on the Joint List,” she warned. She noted that the mostly Arab faction “undermines the very existence of a Jewish state.”
She said the Joint List’s representatives have declared that a victory for their party is “a victory for Gaza and a victory for the terror machine.”
Gotliv also said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party should have reminded voters who Bennett and Liberman really are. Instead, the Likud campaign focused heavily on a “broad national” or “broad unity” government, she said.
She also claimed Liberman had previously pledged not to join a government with the United Arab List (Ra’am), but ultimately did so. Liberman had also spoken of bringing Jordanian troops into Areas A and B of Judea and Samaria, she said.
“The bloc as a whole has fallen short,” Gotliv concluded.
Israel signs $170 million deal with Elbit Systems for advanced IDF artillery training center
(JNS)—The Israel Defense Ministry’s Defense Procurement Directorate (DPD), in cooperation with the Israel Ground Forces, has signed a 15-year contract with Elbit Systems to establish and operate an advanced training center for the use of weapons produced by the Haifa-based defense firm, the Israel Ministry of Defense (IMOD) announced on November 2.
The cost of the project is estimated at 600 million shekels. Elbit said the contract is worth 170 million U.S. dollars.
The new center will support the operational integration of the Ro’em (“Thunder”) self-propelled artillery system and the “LAHAV” (PULS) precision rocket launcher system into the IDF Artillery Corps, Elbit said on November 2.
The “Ro’em,” or SIGMA, is a 155mm, self-propelled howitzer with automatic shell loading capability and Iron Beam laser system mounted on a truck. “SIGMA is capable of automatically selecting and loading the required projectile, propellant and fuse and laying the gun to optimally engage targets,” Elbit said.
The LAHAV rocket system is mounted on U.S.-made HEMTT Oshkosh 8×8 trucks. Its independent sealed launch pods can be mixed and matched enabling a single vehicle to fire different weapon types and calibers.
Deputy Director General and Head of the Defense Procurement Administration Ze’ev Landau said, “The agreement we signed is significant news for strengthening the IDF’s strength and readiness, and it directly reflects the Ministry of Defense’s strategy to enhance operational readiness, strengthen Israeli industry, and ensure a long-term technological and logistical response to the field forces.”
